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Friday, August 05, 2005

two weeks notice

As a new parent, I can tell you that probably the most common thing that you're told both before and after the baby pops out is some sort of comment about the lack of sleep, something along the lines of, "stock up on sleep now, you're not going to be getting much once the baby's born." (This possibly followed by an ill-concealed snicker of schadenfreude. Jerks.) Of course Cal's not sleeping through the night, because he's only two weeks old--we wouldn't expect anything more than four or five hours at a stretch max. Lately he's been going to bed at 9 or 10pm, waking once to feed at 1 or 2am, and then again at around 5 or 6am, when he realizes that it's morningtime, so wakey-wakey.

This may sound a little tortuous, but it actually hasn't been all that terrible. Joe and I were remarking yesterday at how (despite the fact that we would both love to not be awake at 2am every night) relatively normal we feel despite living on a newborn's sleep schedule. And the explanation that we came up with is this: as medical residents, we're already used to having our sleep disrupted multiple times a night, and we're already used to waking up obscenely early. Getting up just once overnight to feed and change the baby? So much better than getting paged 20 times a night to TPA some kid's Broviac or do Q2 resp checks for the bronchiolitic up on the 8th floor. Waking up every day at 5:30am? Talk about sleeping in, friend--usually I wake up at 4:45am to get to work on time. Also, since I'm still on leave, I actually get to take a nap during the day, which more than makes up for Cal's nocturnal activities. Taking a nap during the day in my nice air-conditioned bedroom with a smushy little baby on my chest is one of life's more decadent pleasures.

I guess the problem will come when I have to dovetail back into my regular work schedule. Perhaps this 2am feed-and-change routine will become much less amusing when I actually have to get ready for work two hours after that.

* * *

So Cal's two weeks old today. (Trivia factoid: in my family, you can't say "two weeks" without saying, right after it, "twooo weeeeks" in a slurred voice, like the fat lady in "Total Recall" whose head and body splits open to reveal the Arnold Schwarzenegger within. "You're in a Johnny Cab!") So how has he changed in the past two weeks, you may ask? Well, not really that much, actually.

He's a little bit bigger I think, though this is just by feel, since we have no infant scale in our home. But he's eating more, and even though he still has chicken legs and skinny arms, he's getting some rolls where there were no rolls before. He's definitely stronger, lifting his head up to look all around and scootching up with his legs when he's lying on our chests. And of course, his elimination skills have become prodigious. Clearly he cares not for the landfills or the environment, because he goes through diapers like they're going out of style. Of course, once could make the argument that it's actually Joe and I that care not for the environment, as we made the choice to go with disposable diapers instead of cloth--but have you seen Cal's diapers? There's poo in them! Poo! Poo is for the trash, not for touching! Anyway, if you saw how much medical waste I generate at work every day what with the tubing and syringes and individually-wrapped everything, you would understand why I am relatively inured to the thought of throwing out 12 diapers a day, even if I am dooming my great-great-great-great grandchildren to living in subterranean burrows to escape the acid rain and toxic, choking smog.

So yes, there has been some development in the past two weeks. But he still can't walk, talk, or make his own meals. Scootching? Putting on weight? These skills are useless to me!

* * *

So no big plans for the weekend, since we can't really take The Boy much of anywhere yet. I'm just glad that Joe's going to be home for the next two days, so we can resume the tag-team action that we had going on for that first week. More than one parent around is good.

Oh wait, I take that back. There is one big plan for the weekend--tonight for dinner, specifically. We're planning to order in sushi--the actual raw kind, I've had enough shrimp tempura rolls to last me my entire life, thank you--and I'm going to have a beer. La Leche League says "occasional light consumption" of the old EtOH is OK and won't get Cal all drunky or stupid, so by gum, I'm going to take them on their word. Yay for not being pregnant anymore!

Currently watching:"30 Minute Meals," trying to get some ideas about quick meals to make for when I go back to work. Rachel Ray annoys the shit out of me, though. Shut up with your EVOO already.